


new territories

by tinyyy



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Geographical Inaccuracies, Internalized Homophobia, Light Angst, M/M, Self-Discovery, Slow Burn, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-03-09 00:38:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13470006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyyy/pseuds/tinyyy
Summary: Prompt #208Title: new territoriesRating: PG-13Word Count: 9671Warnings: internalized homophobia, alcohol use, swearing, geographical inaccuraciesSummary: Jongdae impulsively takes off and lands on the unfamiliar territory of dim sum, milk tea, bathroom talks, midnight epiphanies, and Byun Baekhyun.Author’s Note: highly self-indulgent, but i do hope the prompter appreciates this nonetheless! many thanks to the mods of this fic fest and to my beta, armie, for the undying patience and for putting up with me.





	new territories

**seocho-dong, seoul**  
“Do you have your toothbrush with you?” Chanyeol aimlessly paces in the living room, a worried stare directed at Jongdae’s luggage.

“Yes,” Jongdae answers before locking his bedroom door shut. “Did you really have to book a taxi for me?” He whines, pouting in Kyungsoo’s direction. “I can just take the bus to the airport, you know. I mean—it’s not even that late.”

“I’m purposely upsetting you because you’re upsetting me for being so impulsive,” Kyungsoo replies like a parent reprimanding a child. “This really isn’t you, Jongdae.”

Jongdae grumbles and plops himself down on the couch, right next to Kyungsoo. “I’ll be fine.” He reassures, resting his weight against his friend’s side. “I need this.”

Kyungsoo scans his face, and sighs in defeat. “If you’d just told us earlier we could’ve dropped everything to go with you, you know,” he mumbles, scanning the taxi app on his phone.

“Jongdae, if your travel buddy is a psychopath, I swear I’m gonna swim all the way to Hong Kong.” Chanyeol warns him with bulging eyes, a finger pointing at him.

Jongdae smiles through a soft chuckle escaping his lips. “Thanks man, you’re the best.” Jongdae points a finger back at him. “I’ll be fine, guys, I promise,” He says to the both of them, even if he sees the worry evident in their creased foreheads, their questioning stares, the hand that lingers a bit too long on his shoulder that wants to hold him back.

The phone in Kyungsoo’s hand vibrates loudly. “Your taxi’s here.” Kyungsoo stands up and motions to grab Jongdae’s luggage, but Chanyeol beats him to it.

“Do you have your toothbrush with you?” Chanyeol asks for the fifth time tonight just as they exit Jongdae’s flat.

 

 **incheon international airport, incheon**  
Jongdae reads through Kyungsoo’s and Chanyeol’s texts of farewells and _we’ll miss you’s_ and _please come back soon’s_. He hears a flight number through the intercom from where he’s seated in the coffee shop near his gate. It takes a few seconds for everything to sink in—how he quit his job, how he booked a one way ticket, how he made a deal to travel with a stranger, and how he finally has the time and mindset for a reset.

Kyungsoo’s line repeats in the back of his head like a broken record: _this isn’t you, Jongdae_. In his defense, he just wanted a break from the routinely work schedule and wanted to fulfill the nagging desire telling him to do something about his life. He never knew he’d actually look for a cheap flight to Hong Kong and tag along with a travel buddy—a total stranger—to cut down expenses. It is thrilling, and is a risk he’s never taken before.

He washes down the rising anxiety within his guts with a sip of his already watered down coffee.

His flight number is announced, prompting him to quickly finish his drink. With his backpack on his shoulders, he takes a step that feels quite heavier than usual. He feels ready, and convinces himself that he is: onwards to his great reset, to fresh meaningful experiences, to his soul journey.

 

✈

 

 **kimberley road, tsim sha tsui, hong kong**  
Jongdae wakes up to a constant yet slow knock on his hotel door. He’s completely rattled and dazed—he seriously didn’t expect to fall asleep right after arriving in his hotel room. Jongdae checks his phone beside him, and sees that it’s 1 in the morning and that he has seven Kakao messages from his travel buddy. He hasn’t even unpacked his suitcase and yet here he is: lying in bed, sleepily squinting at his phone, still wearing the clothes from when he left Korea, and just listening to the almost rhythmic knocks on his door that he actually has to tend to.

After shuffling clumsily to the door, the peephole reveals a tired-looking man with a pout on his lips and a pair of sad puppy eyes. Jongdae instantly recognizes him as his travel buddy he met online, his actual appearance not straying far from his profile picture.

“Hi?” Jongdae greets with a cautious smile when he opens the door and his travel buddy flinches in surprise. “Uh, Baekhyun-ssi?”

“Yes,” Baekhyun replies with a scratchy voice and blinks at him before offering his hand towards Jongdae. He clears his throat. “Yes,” he repeats, his voice sounding clear in the empty hallway. “I’m Baekhyun. You must be Jongdae, nice to meet to you.” They shake hands. “I’m so sorry, my flight was delayed and my luggage took super long—”

“It’s fine, it’s fine!” Jongdae reassures him, still continuing their handshake.

“—and I was feeling brave, you know, so I took the train. But then I actually missed my stop so I had to get lost by myself inside a station.”

Jongdae pouts and their handshake slows down. “That’s horrible.”

“So I ended up taking a taxi. But then the driver and I couldn’t understand each other, my English isn’t actually the best, and I only know pre-school Mandarin which isn’t even of help.”

“Most of them speak Cantonese here, if I’m not wrong.”

“So we went around in circles before I actually spotted the hotel, and I kept on knocking outside this room, unsure whether it was the right one because it took you, like, fifteen minutes before actually opening the door and—I really need to pee.” Baekhyun takes a big breath after shooting his words at Jongdae, and finally stops their handshake.

Jongdae lets go of his hand, and he catches himself grinning at Baekhyun and the entire situation. “That was the longest handshake of my entire life.”

Baekhyun nods quickly, hands clenching on the straps of his backpack. “So,” he nods again, slowly this time. “I really need to pee.”

“Of course, I’m sorry.” Jongdae laughs, and steps aside to make way for Baekhyun. Not to set expectations, but he’s thinking this whole trip’s going to be exciting and memorable for the both of them.

 

Baekhyun picks the bed that’s closer to the window. Jongdae picks the side of their shared cabinet that’s closer to the bathroom. Jongdae learns that they’re both bumpkins from Gyeonggi province, who are now both settling in the bustling streets of Seoul.

“Why’d you agree to be my travel buddy, anyway?” Jongdae asks in the midst of their chuckles while they talk about the whole sketchy set up of finding a stranger to travel with.

Baekhyun’s smile softens, falters even, before it transforms into a yawn. “It’s a secret,” he says through an awkward laugh, shifting in his own bed. “Can I dim the lights? But not completely turn it off?”

Jongdae yawns too, nodding his head at Baekhyun. “I’m okay with it.” He drops his question, sensing the way Baekhyun’s avoiding it too.

“Thanks,” Baekhyun tells him before dimming the lamp. He twists and turns for a few seconds, the sheets rustling loudly, before giving Jongdae an all too friendly “good night”.

Jongdae hums in reply. “Good night,” he says back, and it feels too weird and unfamiliar to say such words out loud that it takes him a few more minutes to finally fall asleep.

 

 **cameron road, tsim sha tsui, hong kong**  
“I actually don’t have a plan, or an itinerary of some sort.” Jongdae confesses through a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

Baekhyun’s eyes widen in surprise and he stops drinking his milk tea. “Really?” He coughs for a while, hiding his mouth with the back of his hand. “Well, aren’t we just lucky, because I seriously don’t have any sort of schedule planned out either.”

Jongdae chews and nods. “This is probably why we’re at McDonald’s having breakfast because we don’t know where to go.”

Laughter fills the space between their tiny table at the corner of the fast food joint, the both of them donning their own version of an embarrassed and amused expression. Jongdae’s looking down with his eyes crinkling and his teeth showing through his shy grin, and Baekhyun’s scrunching up his face with his sheepish smile.

“We’ll get by,” Baekhyun states for the both of them, pouring the remaining syrup on his hotcakes.

“I’m sure we will.” Jongdae reaffirms, quite confidently, before sneakily googling for “cheap hong kong itinerary” on his phone.

 

 **tsim sha tsui, hong kong**  
The streets of Tsim Sha Tsui are generally busy, with people talking in foreign slurs and walking with hurried steps. Still, walking with Baekhyun is easy. And Jongdae knows it wasn’t supposed to be _this_ easy because the way you can click with a person and have some sort of instant connection with them is only for the movies—but here it is, it’s happening, and Baekhyun’s laugh is a melody to Jongdae’s ears.

They’re only about to finish their mango smoothies but they’ve already gone through some of their most memorable childhood experiences in Gyeonggi and their struggles during their first time in Seoul. Baekhyun explains things so vividly that his words make Jongdae visualize scenarios and follow an enticing storyline. Jongdae learns that Baekhyun is a junior art director for a creative agency in Sinsa-dong. Jongdae then feels that it’s just fair to tell Baekhyun about his mundane life as a partnership consultant—wherein Baekhyun gives him all his attention and listens to him with laser focus.

Maybe not having a plan or schedule is good, because then Jongdae wouldn’t feel the hectic vibe envelope their laid back pace. He gets to appreciate the unfamiliar curves and turns of the streets, the colors of the city that seem more alive as it gets darker, and the presence of a somewhat familiar human being beside him against the alienating foreign atmosphere surrounding them.

 

✈

 

 **central, hong kong**  
“Do we just,” Baekhyun fidgets, his hands inside the pockets of his hoodie. “Wait here? Will it stop here?”

Jongdae hums, and looks both ways. They’re standing underneath a waiting shed for the tram, near the Central MTR station. “I’m assuming it will.” Jongdae reassures him, while being rather unsure himself. He glances at Baekhyun beside him, who’s pouting his lips in worry. “Hey, look.” Jongdae steps closer to Baekhyun and a tram approaches. “We’re getting on this one.” He’s close enough to lightly nudge Baekhyun.

“If we get lost, it’s on you.”

Jongdae rolls his eyes, and offers him an overly confident smile. “I got you.” He grins, before lightly jumping on his feet as the tram finally stops in front of them. “Let’s go!” He urges Baekhyun with both of his hands on his shoulders, gently leading him to get on the tram.

 

“I must admit,” Jongdae confesses in a small voice, leaning closer beside Baekhyun. “I have no idea where the hell we are right now.” The tram has slowly snaked through the maze-like city with its worn-our buildings and establishments, with Baekhyun and Jongdae fearlessly riding through the journey at the top deck of the creaky tram.

Baekhyun, who’s busy staring out the window with wonder-filled eyes, whips his head towards Jongdae and almost bumps their noses together.

Jongdae immediately realizes the distance, or the lack thereof, and shifts in his seat to slide away a bit further.

“I like not knowing where we are.” Baekhyun’s smile could compete against the sunlight forming a halo behind him, from Jongdae’s view. “I mean, as long as I’m with someone.” He shrugs nonchalantly and looks away, gazing out the window again. “I mean,” he adds and clears his throat. “I’m just really terrible with directions and I get lost by myself a lot.”

Jongdae replies with a chuckle and a nod. “Yeah, I get you. Kinda terrifying to get lost in a foreign place, after all,” he admits, sinking further in his seat.

Baekhyun hums in agreement and lets the cold breeze ruffle his hair. It reminds Jongdae of a puppy hanging its head out of a window, and the smile on Jongdae’s lips doesn’t falter.

“As long as we can navigate with our phones,” Jongdae adds.

Baekhyun turns his head to squint at a smiling Jongdae. “I was gonna say ‘as long as we have each other’, but sure, that works too.” He shrugs and rolls his eyes, pretending to be upset even though the immediate grin taking over his pouting lips completely gives everything away.

Jongdae laughs. He’s been laughing a lot recently ever since he got to Hong Kong. “Yeah, that too.”

Baekhyun grins back at him, before returning his gaze to the lines of old buildings slowly passing them. “So, this is Central,” Baekhyun says mostly to himself, and Jongdae just hums in response, also busy taking in the view.

They both didn’t expect that the tram would actually go this slowly, but then now Jongdae appreciates the sluggish speed. He can take in the array of old buildings all dressed in a similar color palette, the rise and turns of the roads that almost seem like a maze, the transition of the warm, classic city to more industrial towers and even to quieter, more serene parts of the town. Baekhyun stays quiet, which is unlikely of him, and lets the cold wind play with his hair further, making it look like a wild flame when the sunlight hits the mop of blonde on his head just right.

Jongdae stays quiet too. He feels comfortable, he feels at peace—away from all the worries he left behind in Korea as he tries to not think about the next steps he should take the moment he gets back.

 

 **des voeux road, central, hong kong**  
Baekhyun concentrates on his phone, pinching his fingers on the screen while angling it properly to capture the dumplings on their table. “Okay, we can eat now.”

“Are you done telling the internet what you’re eating for lunch?” Jongdae takes a bite of a fried dumpling, and groans gratefully for the exquisite taste. “This is what heaven tastes like, I swear,” he says with his mouth full, already grabbing another piece.

Baekhyun scoffs. “I need to update my followers, you know,” He replies before taking a sip of his iced milk tea. “This milk tea is _the shit_ , I can have ten more.”

Jongdae chuckles, cheeks bloating from hoarding too much dumplings in his mouth.

“You don’t have Instagram, do you?” Baekhyun asks, his eyes widening as he chews on a dumpling. “Holy shit, why is this so good?”

“Were you stalking me?” Jongdae asks with a Cheshire cat smile on his face.

Baekhyun scoffs. “I wasn’t.”

Jongdae raises an eyebrow, silently urging Baekhyun to stop being in denial while he sips on his milk tea.

“Okay, I was.” Baekhyun rolls his eyes and averts his gaze as he raises his hand to place an extra order. “I was just checking if you were a decent human being! I mean, I had to do some sort of background check on this person who I’m planning to accompany,” Baekhyun explained, with animated hand gestures that almost tipped over his own glass of milk tea.

Jongdae just nods while chuckling, shoulders shaking from his own laugh.

A server arrives by their table, the one Baekhyun motioned over a while ago, and Baekhyun points at the photo of dumplings on the menu that’s on their tabletop.

“I’m sorry your search led to nothing,” Jongdae says, while Baekhyun’s communicating with the server through butchered English and hand gestures. “I just really don’t do SNS that much.”

Baekhyun thanks the server in Chinese, and Jongdae does too. “I figured.” Baekhyun nods at him with a knowing look.

“Why’d you agree to tag along by the way?” Jongdae scoops rice from his bowl, filling his mouth. He then takes the last piece of dumpling and eats it whole too, the food making his cheeks blow up. “If you don’t mind me asking,” he adds, words jumbled and vague with the amount of rice and dumpling he’s currently chewing.

Baekhyun leans back on his chair, exhales, and smiles. “Well, you were the most decent one out there.”

“Oh, wow, thanks.”

“And there’s another part to it, but it’s a long story.”

Jongdae hums, his eyes not leaving Baekhyun’s own as he tries to cautiously take a step forward towards Baekhyun’s story. “Is it something that requires a very, very long conversation? Probably over coffee?”

“Yeah, something like that.” Baekhyun chuckles, shrugging with an unsure smile. The server quickly announces their order, and places it on their table. A fresh plate of fried dumplings stands between them, but so does a slowly crumbling invisible wall. “It’s kinda sad too,” Baekhyun adds, and Jongdae can practically hear the wall cracking in his own mind. “It might ruin the taste of this glorious meal we’re having.”

Silently, Jongdae nods, and starts picking up another piece of dumpling.

“I’ll tell you soon, over coffee.”

“I’ll hold on to that.”

“How about you?” Baekhyun asks in return, chewing with his mouth. There are crumbs on the side of his lips and Jongdae’s waiting for Baekhyun to notice it himself. “Are there any more layers to your soul searching agenda here?” Baekhyun makes it sound like Jongdae has some sort of magical adventure he has to tackle here in Hong Kong, with the way he makes it sound so grand.

“Nah,” Jongdae laughs and shakes his head. He pauses for a few heartbeats, hesitates, before leaning closer as if he’s telling Baekhyun a huge secret. “Well, maybe there is, but it’d take more than coffee. Probably soju and beer.”

Baekhyun raises an eyebrow at him, and he brings his fingers to rest on his own grin. He stares at Jongdae, amused. “You’re hardcore, Kim Jongdae. We’re definitely having soju and beer soon.” Baekhyun says it like it’s a plan already set on stone. “And tomorrow, we’re going to Mong Kok. I’m running out of clothes, I packed light.”

“And Disneyland, the day after that. I already got us tickets.”

Baekhyun nods, and raises his glass of milk tea. “Not bad for two people without any plans.”

Jongdae raises his own glass and clinks it together with Baekhyun’s. “Not bad at all.”

 

 **duddell street, central, hong kong**  
“So, you’re an iced Americano type of guy,” Baekhyun tells him with a lilt in his voice and a small smile on his lips. He’d just taken a very, aesthetically appealing photo of Jongdae taking the first sip of his coffee, inside the classic _bing sutt_ themed café. Jongdae marveled at how the light plays just right in the photo, and felt the need to keep up and take a photo of Baekhyun in return—which turned out good, too. He doubts Baekhyun would ever look bad in photos anyway.

Jongdae smiles back and chuckles. “And you’re a… _Yuenyeung_ type of a guy, Byun Baekhyun.” He chuckles at the uncertainty in his voice and squints at Baekhyun’s cup. It’s a drink that mixes coffee and Hong Kong milk tea together, something Jongdae would try when he’s feeling extra adventurous.

Baekhyun notices Jongdae’s interest. “Do you want to try? It’s really good.” Baekhyun offers, sliding his drink towards Jongdae.

Jongdae might as well try the drink that they can only get in this special Starbucks branch, with its classic interior reminiscent of a traditional _bing sutt_ place and its retro atmosphere that almost makes it seem like they’ve stepped into a time travel machine. So he takes a sip of the drink, and feels the flavor of coffee and milk tea swirling in his tongue.

“That’s good. Weirdly good.” Jongdae’s eyes are wide, surprised that he can actually appreciate the unique taste.

Baekhyun’s smile suddenly falters when he takes back his drink. “So,” he says with an exhale. “You really wanna know why I’m here in Hong Kong? I mean I _did_ promise, like hours ago, that I’d tell you over coffee.”

Jongdae gulps and shifts in his seat. “If it’s alright,” he replies, softly, leaning closer towards Baekhyun. He rests his elbows on their small table.

“I was supposed to go with my ex-boyfriend.”

“Oh,” Jongdae says so profoundly, feeling the mood dampen between them. It’s as if he’s seeing another side of Byun Baekhyun, after getting so used to his bright smiles and consistent chuckles. And Baekhyun has actually never disclosed his sexuality to him, but here it is laid out in front of him. “I’m sorry.” He feels the words linger inside his tongue since he’s uncertain as to why he apologized.

“It’s alright.” Baekhyun gives a small smile. “I already booked tickets way before, I thought it would be nice to go together and all. But then he had to go back to China and I just,” he shrugs and looks away from Jongdae as if he’s searching for what to say next. “I just couldn’t do long distance relationships you know, it’s exhausting.”

There’s a puzzle that’s piecing itself together in Jongdae’s mind, but there are still a few pieces missing. “He’s Chinese?”

“Yup, I learned basic Mandarin from him.” Baekhyun chuckles, and takes a sip of drink.

“So, you were supposed to be with him on this trip.”

“Yeah.” Baekhyun stares at his own drink. “But I didn’t cancel my flight because I guess I felt brave.” He shifts in his seat, leaning back on his chair. “Like, maybe going on this trip is good for me, you know?” His eyes shift back to Jongdae, who’s listening patiently across him. “And it’s not like I’m hung up on him, everything’s fine. I just decided to call it off because the whole set up was too tiring for me, and I felt that our world revolved around each other too much.”

There are flashbacks in the back of Jongdae’s mind—a high school sweetheart who affected him way too much, a college heartbreak that changed the way he sees things, and a wrongly timed fling that had so much potential—and he easily dismisses them all. “I feel like when you fall in love, there would really be a point in your life where you feel like the other person’s your entire universe.”

“Yeah, and I feel like we all learn from that. We’re still separate beings after all. We have to be independent.”

“What an independent man.” Jongdae leans a bit closer, a teasing smile on his lips. “But then you had to look for someone to travel with because you get lost in train stations—”

“That was one time!” Baekhyun retorts, leaning closer.

“And you can’t instruct a taxi driver properly.”

Baekhyun groans, putting his entire face flat on his palms. “Can we let this go, oh my god,” He says in exasperation.

“Well, technically, it was only a day ago.” Jongdae smugly explains, taking a sip of his iced coffee.

“Right.” Baekhyun sighs. He stops hiding his embarrassed face behind his hands and properly looks at Jongdae. “It’s funny though, feels like we’ve known each other much longer.”

It takes Jongdae a few more moments of internal hesitation before telling Baekhyun, “Yeah, same here.” He doesn’t go into the specifics—on how Baekhyun is a comforting presence, a presence so familiar in an unfamiliar place, a language he knows how to speak in a slur of foreign words and phrases.

 

 **kimberley road, tsim sha tsui, hong kong**  
Jongdae almost called Kyungsoo in the middle of the night to admit that _okay, fine, maybe ghosts are real because there’s this creepy constant sound in the room_ , only to realize that it’s just Baekhyun grinding his teeth in his sleep. An audible sigh of relief comes out of his mouth, and the sound stops as Baekhyun shifts in his bed.

So Jongdae sends photos to their group chat instead, to which Chanyeol spams the chat with a series of emoticons. Jongdae then asks him why the hell he’s still up when he has work tomorrow. Chanyeol doesn’t answer him properly and just throws the question back at him.

There’s a faint sound of a car honking outside, which then disappears quickly, and Jongdae suddenly contemplates in the silence. Maybe he’s still awake because he feels an ache in his feet, from walking too much, and an ache in his chest, from the self-loathing he felt the moment he knew about Baekhyun’s sexuality. There’s a ringing in his ears and red flags are being raised in his mind—he hates himself for thinking about putting slightly more distance between them upon knowing, and he hates himself for the sick twists inside his guts whenever Baekhyun comes a little too close.

Jongdae knows he won’t be having a good night’s sleep.

 

✈

 

 **lock road, tsim sha tsui, hong kong**  
“Good morning, indeed,” Baekhyun groans out after slurping almost a quarter of his bowl of noodles. To be fair, the serving’s quite small, but Baekhyun’s still a sight to see—praising every beautiful shrimp wonton before indulging.

Jongdae agrees though, that the bowl of noodles they’re having is great way to start the day. “I feel like you can’t leave this country without stopping by for real noodles.”

“And wonton.” Baekhyun lifts up a piece of shrimp wonton with his chopsticks almost ceremoniously, as if to prove a point. “You know this is my last set of clothes,” he tells Jongdae, who’s busy drinking the remaining broth from his bowl.

Jongdae wipes his mouth with a tissue. “I have an extra set for sleeping, I can always lend them to you if you need them.”

Baekhyun stares at him for a few seconds. “You missed a spot,” he tells Jongdae, before leaning over and wiping the side of his mouth with a piece of tissue. “Kiddo.” Baekhyun laughs with fondness, maybe a bit too much, which makes Jogdae’s cheeks feel like they’re on fire and his insides feel like they’ve been thrown into a blender. He wills himself to not feel anxious and embarrassed and flustered and all the other feelings he felt with the slightest swipe of a tissue held by Baekhyun’s nice fingers.

 

 **tung choi street, mong kok, hong kong**  
Somewhere along merchants calling them to their stall and apologetic nods for unintentional shoulder bumping, Baekhyun holds onto Jongdae’s arm. And Jongdae’s not sure if it’s because of the amount of people in the area or if it’s because of someone holding onto his arm—an act that’s somehow familiar yet it makes him feel brand new things at the same time—but he’s feeling a little bit lightheaded. A lack of sleep from overthinking paired with the cluster of people bumping into them, all of which is amplified by the hand on his arm.

“Are you okay?” Baekhyun asks him, his grip tightening slightly. His walk slows down since he isn’t even looking where he’s going, his eyes surveying Jongdae’s face.

“I’m fine,” Jongdae tells him, and he wills himself to believe that he is. After all, he’s only bought two shirts so far, and he doesn’t think that would be enough since all he has back at their hotel are clothes for sleeping. He’s also certain that Baekhyun isn’t the type to leave Mong Kok with just one shopping bag.

Baekhyun gives him a soft smile, and inches closer, his grip on Jongdae’s arm tightening just a bit. Jongdae receives a surge of energy just from Baekhyun’s smile and he tries to just accept it and not overanalyze.

 

 **bute street, prince edward, mong kok, hong kong**  
They stop by a _bing sutt_ to catch their breath and rest their tired feet—and to fill their stomachs, definitely.

“Does this have pineapple?” Baekhyun questions him, stopping mid-bite with a warm _bo lo bao_ in his hands.

Jongdae chuckles at his inquiry. “No, it’s just called pineapple bun because of the shape of the bread. No pineapples.”

Baekhyun grins and digs in, pleased with the pastry he’s eating. His hair is unusually flat, since he’s been wearing a cap on his head the entire time they’ve been shopping. Three shopping bags surround his feet, one of which containing a matching pair of pajamas they got for themselves. It was a buy-one-get-one deal they couldn’t turn down!

“Feeling better?” Baekhyun asks him, mouth full of bread.

“Yeah, guess I was just exhausted a while ago.” Jongdae takes a bite from the French toast they’re sharing. “Food makes everything better.”

“And milk tea,” Baekhyun adds, before taking a sip from his glass of milk tea.

“You’re in love with milk tea.” Jongdae chuckles, shaking his head at Baekhyun.

“That’s me.” Baekhyun shrugs unapologetically, and finishes the last bits of pastry. “Falling in love with everything a bit too quickly.”

Jongdae hides behind a smirk and a raised eyebrow to conceal the uneasy feeling in his gut. “We really need to get a few bottles of beer, or even soju, to make me talk about feelings, you know.” He adds a laugh, to which Baekhyun replies with his own chuckle paired with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

 

 **wing lee building, kimberley road, tsim sha tsui, hong kong**  
“So about love,” Baekhyun slurs, with one hand cupping his own face while the other points the cooking tongs at Jongdae.

Jongdae catches himself laughing a bit too loud at Baekhyun’s hooded eyes and slurred words, and he just blames it on the bottles of soju lined up on their table.

They’re almost done with the set of _chadolbaegi_ they’ve grilled, but the already cold _doenjjang jjigae_ still fills almost half of the huge bowl. They’ve been eyeing this Korean restaurant quite near their hotel for a few evenings now, and getting a taste of comfort food definitely lifted up their spirits.

“What about love?” Jongdae barks back at him tauntingly, feeling the slight dizziness in his head.

Baekhyun raises his eyebrows at him and chuckles shortly. “I don’t know, man.” He shakes his head and tips sideways, leaning his weight onto the wall. His bangs are sticking to his forehead and his lips are in perpetual pout. “It’s just tricky. You fall in love too quickly, then you second-guess yourself that maybe it’s just infatuation. Then when you take your time, they’d just be gone! Out of your reach!” He animatedly flicks his hands as he explains.

Jongdae nods, leans closer across Baekhyun, and steadies himself with his elbows on the table. “I understand,” he replies, accompanied by the slow realization that his fingers are now threading through the strands of Baekhyun’s hair, sweeping his bangs out of his eyes. “I usually hesitate, a lot, and sometimes I can’t show how actually I feel.”

Baekhyun hums, slowly leaning in to the touch. “What about now?” He blinks at Jongdae and gives out a long exhale.

A few seconds of silence pass in between them, and Jongdae finally retracts his hand. He’s not one to puke after drinking, since he knows that he can actually handle alcohol well, but there’s an uneasy feeling simmering in his gut that he badly wants to get out of his system. “What do you mean?” He clarifies, and Baekhyun just shakes his head at him almost instantly.

“Nothing, nothing,” Baekhyun murmurs, completely facing the wall now. “I’m sleepy.”

So Jongdae gets the bill and gets their asses out of the place, but with a bit of difficulty—with Baekhyun leaning almost all of his weight on Jongdae, with Baekhyun’s arm around his shoulders, with their mismatched footsteps and their boisterous laughter that disturbs the somehow quiet night.

 

 **kimberley road, tsim sha tsui, hong kong**  
“Love is bullshit,” Baekhyun declares, seating on the floor of their tiny hotel bathroom with his arms hugging the toilet bowl.

Jongdae replies with a hum, seated beside him with his back against the cold tiled wall. His hand is gently stroking Baekhyun’s shoulder.

Jongdae headed straight to the bathroom after clumsily barging into their hotel room, almost tripping on the shopping bags they left by their hotel door before they hurried out for dinner. He thought he was on the verge of puking, but he realized he was wrong when he decided to instantly let Baekhyun in after he hears an urgent knock on the bathroom door. Jongdae didn’t even puke, but instead offered comforting backrubs while Baekhyun vomited.

Now they’re settled inside their cold, cold bathroom as they sober up, with Baekhyun rambling about the tricky territory of love.

“I feel like I really overthink everything, to the point that I can’t _feel_ if it’s really love or not.” Jongdae shifts in his place, inching a bit closer to Baekhyun.

“How do you actually _know_ if it is?”

Jongdae sighs and shrugs. “I have yet to find out, I guess.” He gives a small laugh, to which Baekhyun replies with a snort. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“What?” Baekhyun breathes out and lets go of the toilet bowl he’s hugging, before resting his head on Jongdae’s shoulder.

“How’d you find out?”

Baekhyun just hums, questioningly, and gives Jongdae some time to phrase it correctly.

“How’d you find out that you liked guys?” Jongdae twirls and untwirls a loose thread he caught on the bottom of his shirt. “That you liked them more than women?”

Baekhyun shrugs. “College. Experimentation. Diving into feelings.” He gives a vague answer, yawning.

“Sleepy?”

Baekhyun hums, and Jongdae feels the subtle vibration of his voice on his shoulder. “You just dive in, I guess,” he explains further with quiet words. “It’s like, travelling into a whole new dimension, crossing over, _coming out_.” He snickers. “Then you realize,” he continues, letting his hand rest on Jongdae’s thigh so casually. “Ah, this is what it feels like to actually be yourself. To belong. This whole new universe is my home now, and I can’t wait to explore it, while I’m actually okay with letting my friends into this whole new territory too.”

“You’re aware that you have this special way of saying things, right?” Jongdae tries to look at Baekhyun, and notices the mole above his lip for the very first time. “The way you describe things, the way you tell stories,” Jongdae lets his own hand rest just beside Baekhyun’s hand, their fingers touching so slightly. “It’s fascinating.”

“Well, that’s just me,” Baekhyun replies with an air of nonchalance. “I mean everyone has their own coming out stories. I think each one’s special.”

Jongdae hums in response, and he leans more comfortably, resting his weight on Baekhyun too.

“Come over,” Baekhyun tells him.

“What?”

“Come over, to my universe. You’re welcome here. Stay.” Baekhyun’s last words escape his mouth in a drowsy mess, before he falls asleep on Jongdae’s shoulder.

Jongdae drags a sleeping Baekhyun to his own bed, and he keeps himself awake with his own thoughts—thinking about diving in to feelings and new territories and if he’s ready to explore a new universe of his own.

 

✈

 

 **lantau island, hong kong**  
“You’re never making me drink again.” Baekhyun promises, getting their tickets from the counter. He’s wearing his huge sunglasses and a face mask to cover the sudden breakout on his face—which is really just a few pimples, nothing too hardcore. Baekhyun’s just making a big deal out of skipping his skincare routine last night.

Jongdae obnoxiously laughs at him, which makes him get a half-assed punch on the shoulder. “Here you go.” Jongdae gives him the ticket, and casually slings an arm around Baekhyun’s shoulders. “Off we go, to the happiest place on earth!”

 

Jongdae discovers that the combination of an extreme ride plus Byun Baekhyun is a catastrophic pair. Baekhyun literally went wild and yelled out his entire vocabulary of curses during an indoor rollercoaster ride.

“I’m kinda tired.” Baekhyun picks up a fry from Jongdae’s plate, having finished his already. It took them a few minutes too long just to line up and order food and find seats, even if they did choose the ‘fast food’ option for their late lunch.

“Well,” Jongdae starts to speak with his mouth full. “You did use up all your energy a while ago. Screaming. Yelling. Tugging at my shirt. Grabbing my arm.”

“Shut up,” he groans, throwing a fry at Jongdae like a kid trying to start a fight.

“Hey, kid, don’t waste food,” Jongdae reprimands jokingly.

Baekhyun pouts. Jongdae leans over and runs his hand through Baekhyun’s hair fondly, grinning at the sulking adult in front of him.

 

“Jongdae, look here.” Baekhyun leans closer to Jongdae, quickly snapping a photo when Jongdae turns his head.

“Hey, I wasn’t even ready.” Jongdae whines, pouting at Baekhyun’s phone as he looks at the picture. Baekhyun’s eyes are closed from grinning too hugely, and Jongdae’s lips are slightly parted as he looks directly at the camera. The natural sunlight makes the whole photo look better though, as well as the scenic view of the Disneyland train accompanied by the abundant trees of Adventureland in the background.

Baekhyun scoffs. “You look fine!” He reasons with a convincing eyebrow wiggle and a grin. “You know, I posted the photo of us with the Mickey Mouse ears,” Baekhyun tells him and Jongdae pays attention. It’s only been days since they’ve been with each other but Jongdae already picks up the cues in Baekhyun’s voice to notice that he’s passionately telling something important. “This one!” Baekhyun shows him: in the middle of Main Street, Jongdae’s caught mid-laugh with his eyes crinkling and his teeth showing, while Baekhyun’s showcasing his boxy smile as he awkwardly holds on to the sleeve of Jongdae’s sweater. The foreigner who kindly took the photo for them captured the shot right after Baekhyun got bumped by a running kid, making him lose balance and cling onto an amused Jongdae.

“That looks great,” Jongdae says in awe, and then quickly clarifies, “I’m talking about the photo okay, not me. The photo looks great.” He notices the overwhelming number of likes on the photo even if Baekhyun posted it only an hour ago.

Baekhyun laughs. “And if you look at the comments.” He scrolls down to reveal a few, all of which are just heart emojis tacked with an assumption that they’re dating. “I guess we’re dating.”

Jongdae chuckles, leaning closer to take another look at the photo. “Well, maybe we should let them assume.” He shrugs, ignoring the drop inside his stomach.

The train slows down to a stop and Baekhyun raises an eyebrow at him. “Alright, then,” he replies with a shy laugh.

 

They try their best to explore the park, to try every ride (with the exception of extreme ones), and fully enjoy the magic of Disneyland. Baekhyun remained starry-eyed all throughout the day, projecting the excitement and wonder of a kid at every corner they visit. Jongdae feels some sort of healing happening within him—all the doubts, the stress, the emptiness vanished for a moment and he basks in how everything seems so pleasant and surreal.

He forgets about the internal mess he felt back in his homeland, and feels layers of himself slowly stitching themselves when the night’s very first firework explodes, making him realize how he’s slowly finding himself again. The lights bathe a wide-eyed Baekhyun in hues of pink, purple, and blue and Jongdae gets utterly distracted, looking at his companion rather than the explosions in the night sky. One part of him wants to hold the pretty hand slightly brushing his, while the other part of him aggressively disagrees to.

“It’s so beautiful.” Baekhyun marvels, tugging at Jongdae’s sweater sleeve to grab his attention while he focuses on the fireworks.

Despite his internal conflict, Jongdae catches himself smiling and feels something tugging at his heart instead as Baekhyun lets his fingers hold on to the fabric of Jongdae’s sweater. “Yeah, it is,” Jongdae replies.

 

 **kimberley road, tsim sha tsui, hong kong**  
“I’m so tired,” Jongdae groans as he stretches on his bed. Baekhyun hums in agreement on the bed across Jongdae’s, patting his face as he finishes up his nightly skincare routine. Both of them are wearing the matching pajamas they bought from Mong Kok. “But I’m so happy?”

Baekhyun catches his gaze and gives him a genuine smile. “Yeah, I’m happy too.” Baekhyun tidies up his bed, even fluffing the pillows, before tucking himself in. “I can now cross out Disneyland in the list of magical places I’ve always wanted to visit.” He turns off the main lights and lets the night lamp in between their beds cast a soft glow.

“There are other magical places?” Jongdae asks through a yawn.

“Well, they seem magical to me, I guess.” The sheets rustle in their quiet room as Baekhyun shrugs. “Somewhere like Alaska or Norway to see the Northern Lights. Then there’s also Juifen Street in Taiwan, which is supposedly Miyazaki’s inspiration for Spirited Away.”

Jongdae nods, taking in every word while fighting the drowsiness.

“You know, I could go about magical places all day,” he continues, but a yawn interrupts his words. “But maybe when we’re both not sleepy and tired.”

“Well, I am sleepy.” Jongdae admits. “But I want to learn about you more, I guess.” The words that escape Jongdae’s mouth haven’t been filtered, his over-analyzing and hesitating mind too tired and too sleepy.

Baekhyun lets out a soft laugh, covering his smile with his blanket. “That’s lovely to hear,” he replies, almost a bit too shyly. “I want to learn more about you too, when I’m wide awake. So you can have my full attention.”

Jongdae chuckles and feels his stomach twist into knots. “Alright, alright. Let’s sleep.” He laughs as he gives in to Baekhyun’s sleepy whims. “Good night, Baekhyun.”

“Good night, Jongdae.”

 

✈

 

 **cameron road, tsim sha tsui, hong kong**  
After getting bloated with dim sum and noodles, Baekhyun argues that there’s always room for dessert and drags Jongdae by the wrist towards a Japanese dessert place. He claims that the food’s definitely _Instragram-worthy_ , and receives Jongdae’s furrowed eyebrows and unbelieving smile in reply.

“I’ve always wanted to try and go to a more creative career path,” Jongdae mentions while they talk about the wonders of animated films and share a waffle cup that has houses three differently flavored ice cream scoops—all of which are satisfyingly good. “But I feel like my skills aren’t enough.”

Baekhyun’s forehead creases and his eyebrows meet, the spoon hanging by his pouting lips. “We all start somewhere.”

“Yeah, I mean I do get that we aren’t all going to be in the same level as Hayao Miyazaki from the very beginning,” Jongdae replies before cutting through the soft green tea cheesecake they’re also sharing. “It’s just that I chicken out whenever there’s a creativity test when applying for an art or design position in an agency. I feel like I’m not good enough to get in.”

“All I can say is that,” Baekhyun speaks with his mouth full of cheesecake. “You should go for it. You know when I entered my current agency, I thought I was already good at what I do. Turns out, I’m just okay. Because there will always be people who do the shit you do, but have started way earlier and for longer, that they’ve already mastered it.” He wipes his lips with a tissue and places his spoon down on his small plate. “And the thing is, instead of comparing yourself to them, you can actually learn from them. I mean, that’s just how I see things.” He shrugs, leaning further away from Jongdae and resting his back on his seat. “Also, I believe in you. Just, pursue, I guess.”

“I’m so sorry but I may have eaten a bit too much from our waffle cup while you were talking so I’m treating to you an ice cream cone or something.” Jongdae chuckles shyly, feeling warmth from his cheeks and all the way to his ears. “But, thank you,” he sincerely replies. “For just believing in me. And for the uplifting speech. I feel like I’ve been given a sneak peek to that rare, serious side of you.”

“Are you not taking me seriously this whole time? What rare side?” Baekhyun pretends to be offended by scrunching his face at Jongdae and letting out angry huffing noises that just makes him sound like a puppy learning how to bark. “Now you’re definitely buying me an ice cream cone.”

Jongdae leans forward while laughing, and runs his hands through Baekhyun’s hair. “Calm down, puppy. I’m sorry.” He slips his words in between his fond chuckles and through the anxiety clogging up his throat. It’s a weird kind of feeling wherein he’s anxious about the feelings he’s slowly coming into terms with, yet he’s completely uplifted just by seeing Baekhyun, just by listening to his words and his bubbly laughs. So for now, Jongdae just gives in and feels Baekhyun slightly leaning in to the touch.

 

 **tsim sha tsui promenade, hong kong**  
The nights are always chilly, but they both notice that the wind’s colder tonight. Or maybe it’s because they’re strolling by the bay, close to the cold waters.

“We’re really leaving in a few days, huh?” Baekhyun suddenly breaks the silence and slows his pace. He reminds the both of them of their flights back to Seoul, the one they booked together so that they’d go back to their homeland the same time. “Everything felt so surreal.”

“Yeah, everything went by so fast.” Jongdae slows down to a stop, near one of the benches facing the light show that’s already starting. “I wish I could stay longer,” Jongdae says, his voice being drowned by the voiceover from the Symphony of Lights exhibit.

“What?” Baekhyun leans closer.

“I said,” Jongdae minimizes the distance between them, their shoulders already against one another, and speaks closer to Baekhyun’s ear. “I wish I could stay longer.” Jongdae feels the loud beating of his chest patterning itself with the extravagant sounds around them. “With you.” He tacks on at the end of his sentence, and takes advantage of his sudden bravery to lightly tangle his fingers with Baekhyun’s.

It takes a few seconds before Baekhyun holds Jongdae’s hand, tangling their fingers properly. Baekhyun tiptoes. “Can you see the lightshow?” Baekhyun looks at Jongdae when he asks him, seemingly calm even if they’re holding hands for everyone to see.

Jongdae shakes his head with a tight smile. “No, but I’m good.” He lets out a shy chuckle and grins at Baekhyun.

Baekhyun scoffs, looking away in embarrassment, before giving Jongdae’s a hand a squeeze. “This is nice.” He nods to himself.

“Yeah, it is.” Jongdae breathes out and looks at Baekhyun for a few more seconds before craning his head to watch the lightshow. It’s chilly tonight, but the hand holding his gives a warm buzz throughout his body.

 

✈

 

 **kowloon park, tsim sha tsui, hong kong**  
They didn’t talk about the string of events last night: about the hand holding while they tried their best to watch A Symphony of Lights, about the late night conversation they’ve had about their emotions while they tangled and untangled their fingers playfully, about their shy and clumsy kisses with laughter in between, about the feelings Jongdae have tried to tuck inside the crooks of his heart.

So Jongdae wakes up rattled, replaying the scenes in his mind and letting his thoughts get the best of him. 6AM is too early for Baekhyun, so Jongdae decides to sneak out of their room quietly and literally talk a walk in the park after buying a warm cup of coffee.

It’s a bit windy, with the sun just barely peeking through the clouds. Jongdae occupies a bench by the maze-like hedge, staring at all the twists and turns. He actually navigated through the hedge, though he didn’t get to fully savor the experience, as his mind got too preoccupied with thoughts about his own feelings, Baekhyun’s feelings towards him, and the mess of how they actually feel for each other.

Jongdae’s thinking that he may have been a bit too caught up in his emotions last night—maybe it was the picture perfect scenery of the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade or maybe it was the chilly night or maybe it was starry-eyed stare that Baekhyun kept giving him. Maybe it’s Byun Baekhyun himself, his sense of familiarity in this unfamiliar place and an uncharted territory that he wants to visit altogether.

There’s a small part of himself that’s telling him to dive into unknown territory much further, and another part’s telling him to just stay within his own planet of comfort, to what he’s always been accustomed to. There’s a small part of himself that’s urging him to take a chance, that this might be it, and another part’s telling him that this may just be another fling.

The cup of coffee in his hand isn’t even warm anymore, and just leaves a weird aftertaste whenever he takes a sip. He comes to a conclusion after pondering for hours the moment he felt the warmth of the sun on his skin, just enough to combat the chilly breeze, and remembered Baekhyun from the comforting warmth. He’s fucked—he knows he’s fucked hard in the feelings, because this is the first time he associated a person to not just the concept of love, but to the concept of warmth, and even to sunshine or a fresh, warm cup of coffee, and even to a place where he can fully rest after a tiring day. He sees the sun coming out of the clouds, and thinks that Baekhyun’s grin is still more blinding.

 

 **kimberley road, tsim sha tsui, hong kong**  
“You’re leaving?” Jongdae asks, his voice feeling bitter in his own tongue, as he looks at Baekhyun with his luggage in his hand.

“Yeah,” Baekhyun answers with a smile, but it doesn’t fit the suffocating tension in the room. It’s awfully quiet, and even though Baekhyun’s eyes aren’t avoiding Jongdae’s, he still gives off a guarded presence.

Jongdae’s mind is going overdrive with conflicting thoughts and he’s trying to tiptoe around Baekhyun, as if it’s their first time meeting all over again. “But, why?”

“Uh, I figured maybe you’d want to spend time alone,” Baekhyun replies rather unsurely, and Jongdae catches a hint of accusation in his words. “So I just booked a place near Whampoa, spending some alone time myself.” He laughs awkwardly, his boxed grin seemingly out of place.

 _No, no, no, no, this is isn’t what you think, we’re going the wrong direction_ , Jongdae screams in his mind. “Alright, I see.” He feels himself crumbling. It starts from the fingertips and it spreads all over his entire body like a plague—the feeling of regret, of how he could’ve communicated his thoughts, of how he could yell that it’s just a misunderstanding, that he isn’t trying to avoid Baekhyun, but he can’t. He doesn’t. He feels like he’s clenching his fist, trying to catch fine grains of sand, and watching it all slip away from his fingers.

“I’ll see you! Thanks for the wonderful time, Jongdae.” Baekhyun bids him goodbye with a pat on the shoulder, before walking past him. This time Baekhyun avoids eye contact as he heads to the door.

“I’m going to Victoria Peak tomorrow afternoon,” Jongdae tells him abruptly, turning around to catch Baekhyun pausing by the doorway, halfway out of it already. “I mean, if you want to tag along.” He’s holding onto a tiny spark of hope in his heart that’s about to jump out of his throat.

“Alright.” He smiles, and it’s so blinding that it hurts Jongdae. “Goodbye,” he says before closing the door.

 

✈

 

 **victoria peak, the peak, hong kong**  
Jongdae thinks that it’s dumb of him to get anxious over absolutely nothing. He’s riding the escalators that lead to the topmost part of the peak and the fact that Baekhyun is scared of heights looms upon him. Of course, he won’t be there. And besides, Jongdae told him that he’ll be at the peak in the afternoon—it’s almost six in the evening. And they have a flight to catch in the early morning. Jongdae didn’t anticipate the long lines for the tram ride to the peak, and now he just wants to vomit from the anticipation he’s been feeling since morning.

He won’t even expect anything. He’s actually ready to accept that maybe Byun Baekhyun is just a special kind of fling, someone to help him learn more about himself. Baekhyun made him realize that there’s nothing wrong with feeling the fear of pursuing what he really wants, and there’s nothing wrong with stumbling while you get there. Maybe it’s because sometimes the world lets you meet people for them to let you grow, but not for them to stay and witness your growth.

It’s already dark outside, the evening sky blending into the sunset, and Jongdae sees quite a crowd. The wind is colder and stronger, playing with his hair and messing it up. Jongdae’s squinting through the harsh breeze, trying his best to find Baekhyun in the sea of people.

He goes around a few times, only ending each time with no sign of the bright-eyed boy with an infectious laugh. Jongdae ends up at a corner, sighing to himself. _What a waste of a view_ , he thinks, when he can’t witness it with someone who’s entire being is just as bright and lovely. The city lights form a thousand stars, contrasting against the trees of the woods and the night sky.

The wind gets colder, the distinct sound of foreign chatter envelope Jongdae, and he takes in the wonderful view. He might just be okay, a bit better. He longs to go back to Seoul now, not afraid or insecure or even lost. He’s found his way, and he’ll be grateful for the surreal experience—both from the place and the person he met. He knows what he likes, what he is, what he’s bravely going after, and—

“I’m sorry, I got lost.”

—and what he wants to pursue.

Jongdae turns his head to the side and sees the familiar face he was about to let go. There he is, Byun Baekhyun, staring at Jongdae with wide eyes and with mop of golden hair going wild in the wind. “Baekhyun,” Jongdae says a bit too softly, in awe and in reluctance.

Baekhyun’s breathing is heavier than usual, his breath forming fogs a bit too frequently. “Hi?” He says shakily, moving closer to Jongdae but avoiding his eyes completely as he looks at his feet.

“You’re afraid of heights.” Jongdae cranes his head to look properly at Baekhyun who’s still looking down. He stumbles on his own words, the hesitation running thick in his tongue as he tries to not lose the person in front of him for the second time. “I got you, you’ll be fine.” He holds onto Baekhyun’s hand, their fingers finding themselves tangled and fitted so well as if they’ve done this for years already.

“Yeah, this is scary for me,” Baekhyun mumbles loud enough for Jongdae to hear. He lifts up his head to look at Jongdae, his cheeks burning with a pale pink. “But I feel like it’s scarier to not see you tonight, to lose you entirely. So I’m here.” Baekhyun takes a pause and breathes a shaky laugh. He loosens his hold on Jongdae’s hand. “And if you don’t feel the same way anymore then that’s fine. And I’m sorry I just bailed on you, but I panicked when you were suddenly gone for an entire day and I thought maybe you regretted everythin—”

“I don’t regret anything,” Jongdae cuts him off, holding on to Baekhyun’s hand firmly. “And I still feel the same way. I still feel you’re a comforting presence. I still want to talk about what goes in that beautiful mind of yours and hold your hand and share clumsy kisses and maybe even more.” His heart is pounding against his chest as he genuinely tells Baekhyun how he feels. He sees the shift in Baekhyun’s expression, his face softening, and Jongdae feels relief wash over him along with a buzz of warmth and anticipation. “No pressure or anything, since I’m new at _this_ kind of thing, but I do want to try. If you’d let me into your universe, if you’d let me learn about you, that would be very, very nice.”

“You have a way of saying things that make me feel so much, Kim Jongdae.” Baekhyun grins at him, his eyes crinkling underneath his messy bangs. Baekhyun laughs, and the warmth seeps through Jongdae’s veins, making him feel as giddy. “Let’s see how this goes.”

Jongdae nods. “Let’s see,” he ruffles Baekhyun’s already messy hair, before leaning over to quickly give him a kiss on his forehead. Jongdae doesn’t care anymore whether they’d be judged or even scrutinized, but he just wants to make things better, and to hold onto the person who makes him feel like he’s in the clouds, who urges him to reach for what he wants and keeps him grounded at the same time. So he does, and he laces his fingers through Baekhyun’s, who holds his hand just as tightly.

 

✈

 

Jongdae wakes up to a weight on his shoulder and a hand loosely holding his. The sunlight streams from the plane window, casting a golden glow against Baekhyun’s sleeping face. The plane slows down in preparation for the stop, Baekhyun shifts in his sleep, and Jongdae’s fingers gently move Baekhyun’s bangs off of his forehead.

Blinking his eyes at Jongdae, Baekhyun gives a hum, and then a smile.

The sight feels so familiar yet brand new at the same time, washing Jongdae’s heart with a wave of warmth. Jongdae’s breath hitches and he tries not to let it show, because Baekhyun’s entire existence feels a lot like–

 

 **home**  
“We’ve landed?” Baekhyun asks through a yawn, all while holding Jongdae’s hand tighter. The announcement of a safe landing echoes throughout the plane and the busy sounds of people unlocking their seatbelts and fetching their bags fill the air.

“Yeah,” Jongdae replies, squeezing Baekhyun’s fingers. “Finally home.”

**Author's Note:**

> \- _bing sutt_ , which literally means "ice room", is a traditional cafe that has localized western menu items.  
> \- _yuenyeung_ is a drink made of hong kong milk tea and coffee.  
>  \- _bo lo bao_ , which means "pineapple bun", is a bread with a design that resembles a pineapple and is usually filled with either butter or custard.  
> \- _chadolbaegi_ is thinly cut beef brisket ideal for grilling.  
>  \- _doenjang jjigae_ is soybean paste stew, usually with vegetables, tofu, and sometimes meat.  
>  \- 'a symphony of lights' is a light and sound show that happens every night by the harbor. the buildings light up in sync with the music accompaniment.


End file.
